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Science and Industry Museum Wonderlab Group 2 Interactives Makers 2

Science Museum Group

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

24 Sep 2026 at 16:52

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Science Museum Group is commissioning five interactive exhibits for Wonderlab at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester: Circuits, Forces Wheel, Tessilation, Binary Patterns and Guess Time. The exhibits are intended to bring moments of fun, surprise and discovery into the visitor journey and align with the gallery’s wider design. They should encourage playful exploration, social interaction between children and accompanying adults, and inclusive, multisensory participation. They should also feel welcoming and intuitive, with a Manchester character, and be usable without written instructions. The content should support inquiry-based science learning through experimentation, questioning, reflection, open-ended play and testing. This is museum exhibition work, covering the design and provision of interactive exhibits.

The buyer invited offers through an open procedure. The enquiry deadline was 15 October 2026 at 17:00; bids were due by 23 October 2026 at 23:59. The planned award decision date was 13 November 2026. The contract period for each lot runs from 30 November 2026 to 29 November 2028. The estimated total is £155,000 excluding VAT (£186,000 including VAT), divided into five lots: Circuits £80,000, Forces Wheel £30,000, Tessilation £10,000, Binary Patterns £20,000 and Guess Time £15,000, all excluding VAT. Each lot is assessed on quality, weighted at 70%, and price, weighted at 30%.

The opportunity suits exhibit makers and museum-interaction specialists able to develop and deliver hands-on science experiences for a public gallery. Suppliers need to translate scientific ideas into intuitive activities that prompt experimentation and discovery, while making the experience engaging for children and adults together. The design brief favours work that is playful, multisensory and accessible to a broad range of visitors, with no reliance on written instructions. Designs must fit with a wider gallery scheme overseen by a lead designer or architect, and offer a welcoming feel with a Manchester character. The five separate lots cover varied interactive concepts, and each is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized businesses, so specialist suppliers can consider bidding for relevant individual exhibits.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Science and Industry Museum Wonderlab Group 2 Interactives Makers 2

Notice Description

This tender invites suppliers to bid for Wonderlab interactives. These interactive exhibits will provide moments of joy, fun, surprise and wonder throughout the visitor journey. They should be in keeping with wider, gallery designs which will be overseen by the Lead Designer / Architect. Interactives will embody the gallery's key principles: * playful - inspires and celebrates active exploration, curiosity, fun and experimentation. * social - appeals to both children and their accompanying adults, sparks intergenerational conversations and encourages sharing discoveries and ideas with others. * inclusive - is multi-sensory, values diversity, strives to be 'Open for All' and is accessible to as many people as possible. * inviting - welcoming, with a sprinkling of Manchester personality, intuitive to navigate and empowering independent exploration. Wonderlab interactive exhibits will be intuitive, easy to manipulate and importantly will not rely on written instructions to function. Exhibits will foster interaction in many different ways but will be based on the inquiry approach to science education, which allows for experimentation, questioning, reflection, open ended play and testing.

Lot Information

Circuits

Interactive - Circuits

Forces Wheel

Interactive - Forces Wheel

Tessilation

Interactive - Tessilation

Binary Patterns

Interactive - Binary Patterns

Guess Time

Interactive - Guess Time

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0779ec
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/090741-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

CPV Codes

92521000 - Museum services

92521100 - Museum-exhibition services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£155,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£155,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
23 Oct 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Nov 2026 - 29 Nov 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Science Museum Group
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW7 2DD
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI33 Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham
Delivery Location
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Local Authority
Kensington and Chelsea
Electoral Ward
Brompton & Hans Town
Westminster Constituency
Kensington and Bayswater

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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